MMSC's Skating News

Monday, January 8, 2007 By WALTER DAWKINS, STAFF WRITER

THOMAS E. FRANKLIN / THE RECORD The Rink in Montvale will soon make way for a housing development. Its owner plans to open another roller rink in nearby Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.

Multimedia: Closing of The Rink ends an era.The walls are painted in pastels: aqua, yellow and pink. Strobe lights beat to the music. A disco ball splashes shards of light.The Rink in Montvale is an anachronism, a place where roller-skating has been king since 1964.But not for much longer.

It is scheduled to close in a few months to make way for an age-restricted housing development.Owner Bob Dill, who sold the property to developer K. Hovnanian, was hoping to keep The Rink open another eight months during construction of the housing complex, but the Woodcliff Lake Planning Board has denied the request, citing safety concerns. About one-third of the property is in Woodcliff Lake.Dill, who plans to open another skating center in nearby Chestnut Ridge, N.Y., is worried that he may lose customers if there is too much time between when his current rink closes and the new one opens in spring 2008.Dill said the developer has agreed to pay for a 6-foot steel fence separating the construction site from the skating rink and to hire a security guard. Dill also said traffic experts, engineers and police in both towns had approved the safety of a new full-access entrance and exit for construction vehicles. "Nobody in Woodcliff Lake has been willing to even talk to me," Dill said. "It's a dictatorship, it's one man that says, 'We are not letting The Rink stay open, end of story.' "

But Woodcliff Lake Planning Board Chairman Ken Glemby said the decision was based simply on safety concerns."We certainly don't want The Rink in operation when heavy equipment is being used within easy sight and touching distance of kids," Glemby said about construction of the 108-unit 55-and-over community. The project will include a 3,200-square-foot clubhouse, an outdoor swimming pool, a gazebo and a putting green.However, Montvale Planning Board member Wolfgang Vogt, whose board agreed to allow the roller rink to stay open because Dill has been such an active member of the community, believes Woodcliff Lake's concerns are unwarranted, as all safety precautions are in place."It's overkill," Vogt said of Woodcliff Lake's decision.Glum patrons, many of them seniors who have skated there for decades, are sad to see The Rink go.

"There's a lot of senior citizens in tears," said Joyce Van Deursen, 61, of Hawthorne, who teaches skating at The Rink to Special Olympics participants. "We have people skating here who have been married for 65 years and are still skating here together in their 80s. So it's going to be a very sad day."Eileen Rogers, 62, started coming to the roller rink 30 years ago when she met her husband, Joe. They are still regulars, skating there every Tuesday night and Friday morning."We have a circle of friends here we've know all these years," said Rogers, who lives in Nanuet, N.Y. "Our families have skated here and our children have been here over the years for their parties. It's very much a part of the community."At a recent ninth birthday party at The Rink for her daughter Julia, Suki Suh lamented its closing. "It's getting cold and kids need someplace indoors to get exercise and have fun at the same time," said Suh, 40, of Ridgewood, who is a skater as well. "We come here pretty often and we're going to miss it a lot."Her daughter Julia agreed."I'll really miss the place," said Julia, who was excited to be eating pizza and cake and skating with her friends at her party. "I'll miss all the music and the slippery floor. I like when I go really fast and the wind blows in my hair."Dill is a die-hard skater himself. He quit his job as a Wall Street personnel executive in 1981 to open a rink in Bergenfield with his wife, Marianne. They purchased The Rink in 1992."I wanted to stay open as long as possible because out of sight, out of mind," said Dill, who fell in love with skating as a youth on the streets of New York City. "If people stop skating for nine months, they're going to find other things to do."And for the seniors, the layoff could be particularly crippling."It's going to affect the senior citizens greatly because they skate here several times a week to stay in shape," Van Deursen said. "And with rolling on wheels, if you haven't done it for seven or eight months, it may be tough for them to get back on them."The Rink is also the only place left to roller-skate in northern Bergen County.

"People come here from all over because there aren't that many rinks left," said Ken Kasper, 70, of Paramus, who was at The Rink the day it opened in 1964. "I'd have to travel probably an hour to find another rink where I could skate, and that becomes difficult."

Prospect Park, Jan. 24

Regarding, "Rink on the brink" (Page A-1, Jan. 8), I would like to explain why it was necessary to sell our property, The Rink in Montvale and Woodcliff Lake.

When we purchased it nine years ago, our plan was to add a golf driving range. Montvale approved our plan. Woodcliff Lake, which contains only 17 percent of The Rink property and less than 30 percent of the total property considered, blocked the plan and filed a lawsuit to prevent the development of a golf facility. Since The Rink only occupies three of the 12 acres, we had no choice but to sell our property, because we could no longer afford to pay mortgage and taxes on the undeveloped property.

When we agreed to sell, our plan was to remain open as long as possible during the beginning stages of construction. The developer agreed. Once again, Montvale approved. Once again, Woodcliff Lake objected.

Woodcliff Lake Mayor Joseph LaPaglia and the Planning Board insisted that, for safety reasons, The Rink close as soon as permits were issued in either town, regardless of when construction began. This demand forced us to close sooner than necessary. Engineers and police departments from both towns analyzed the situation and agreed safety was not an issue.

Our plan was to have a 6-foot steel fence surrounding The Rink property, using a separate driveway entrance for trucks, limiting our hours and providing security.

There are several major construction projects ongoing in Woodcliff Lake. Why are they not being held to the same safety standard that we are?

We have been in the skating business for more than 25 years and would never compromise safety. We stand behind our record and are very sorry to have to close The Rink.

Bob Dill
Montvale, Jan. 26

I was dismayed to learn that The Rink in Montvale will be closing in June after providing recreation and fun for the community for 43 years.

My husband and I used to skate there many years ago when we first got married. Then we used to take our kids there when they were little. My daughter and I still skate there, even though we live in North Bergen, which is a 50-mile round trip.

It's bad enough that the area lost some of its character with the loss of Tice's and Van Riper's farms. Granted, a subdivision would generate far more tax revenue for both towns than a roller skating rink. But when you hear so much these days about rising obesity rates, it's a shame to lose a valuable source of much-needed, inexpensive year-round recreation and physical exercise.

I read that the owner of The Rink plans to build a new one in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y. It'll be a longer drive for us. But I intend to skate there. I wish the new facility well, but I also wish that the circumstances were such that the present facility could remain.

Diana Bitritto
North Bergen, Jan. 28